


you're guaranteed to run this town (i'd pay to see you frown)

by DeanGirl2Y5



Series: i am the mastermind (underline mastermind) [5]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Dangan Ronpa AU, Enoshima Junko Being Enoshima Junko, F/F, F/M, Murder, Original Character Death(s), POV Naegi Makoto, POV Original Female Character, Past Relationship(s), Recovery, Super Dangan Ronpa 2 Spoilers, Warning: Enoshima Junko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:53:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13246701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeanGirl2Y5/pseuds/DeanGirl2Y5
Summary: “So, she's on an island, and she's okay with that. Sato Emi loves vacations. Almost as much as singing.”Or; the recovery of the remnants.





	you're guaranteed to run this town (i'd pay to see you frown)

**Author's Note:**

> **_Update 1/3/2018:_ I'm currently working on the Danganronpa 3 ending for this series. Yeah, I know. I said this fic was the finale, but I just watched NicoB's newest V3 episode not too long ago and I'm already nostalgic (it's the last chapter of the game, alright?). So that put me in the mood to write the Danganronpa 3 ending for this, and then that's it. No more dives into this _"mastermind"_ verse for me, okay? Anyway, watch out for it! And I'll post the cover in my Fanfiction Covers once it's up. Anyway, on with the notes!**
> 
> **HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!**
> 
> I realize it's been almost 2 months since I uploaded _anything_ on here, but things got a little crazy on my end. My niece had to go to the hospital for a few weeks, so I had to go over to my oldest sister's house to watch my nephews. I had to practice for my church's Christmas play. Also I saw the Doctor Who Christmas special (and I LOVED it. Can't wait to see how Jodie Whittaker does as the Doctor!). Now, I'm sick.
> 
> I know it doesn't excuse not writing anything for as long as I have, but I just...haven't felt like writing at all. But I want to bring in the new year with a new fic, and that fic just so happens to be the finale of _i am the mastermind (underline mastermind)._ I really mean it this time. I had been thinking about at least writing a drabble or something involving this universe's version of The End of Hope's Peak Academy (mainly Hope Arc), but what you're gonna read is pretty much it.
> 
> Like always, I would recommend either playing all of the Danganronpa games yourself (they're all available on PC, just start with Trigger Happy Havoc) or watch a Let's Play of it. The Let's Player I'd recommend is NicoB, as he's played through Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Danganronpa 2, and Ultra Despair Girls.
> 
>  **DISCLAIMER:** Nothing except Emi Sato, her backstory, and the idea are mine. I only play in the despair-filled Pepto Bismol colored murder sandbox known as Danganronpa. The title comes from ["The Ballad of Mona Lisa" by Panic! At the Disco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOgpdp3lP8M).

So, she's on an island, and she's okay with that.

Sato Emi loves vacations. Almost as much as singing.

At least she's free from her parents.

However, it seems she and one Ultimate Luckster, Naegi Makoto, are the youngest students on the island.

_Maybe it's because we were smart enough to be bumped up a grade,_ her brain reasons, and she accepts it without question.

She recognizes a few from popular media: a traditional dancer, a musician, a team manager (not that she paid much attention to sports), and a princess (Sonia Nevermind is definitely as beautiful as they say).

Others have names that stick out in her mind, Togami and Kuzuryu in particular.

(Of course Kuzuryu would stick out. He's a yakuza, for cryin' out loud! And the Togami Corporation is the richest company in the country. She remembers seeing the name plastered all over the arenas her parents took her to before going to Hope's Peak.)

She has no problem getting along with her seventeen classmates (the largest at Hope's Peak Academy, if that white rabbit, Usami, is to be believed), but she can tell something's off about Komaeda Nagito, the other Ultimate Luckster, despite his cheerful demeanor.

However, that all changes when that bear appears and changes Usami to Monomi (shame, Emi _really_ likes that rabbit).

_In order to leave the island, you gotta kill your friends!_

The statement shocks her to the core, and she grabs Naegi's hand without a second thought, though he looks just as pale as she does.

**//**

_“I read your report. Is it true?”_

_“I'm afraid it is. I saw his text messages to her.”_

_“And you confronted him about this?”_

_“Yes, and he didn't deny it. However, he didn't tell me when it happened.”_

_“Then...if he was one of them...just how deep does it go?”_

**//**

The very next person Emi becomes friends with (right after Naegi and Hinata) is Mioda Ibuki. It almost is expected, Ultimate Musician and Ultimate Cover Singer, and they're almost as thick as thieves. The four almost always sit together at breakfast, and Nanami Chiaki joins them (when Emi's alone with Hinata, she jokes about his clear crush on the Ultimate Gamer, and Hinata jokes right back about her almost constant blush whenever Naegi looks her way).

Their friendship seems so easy. There's no way they could kill one another. After all, both Hinata and Naegi don't seem like the murdering types.

_(a small part of her brain whispers, in a low voice, that she's wrong.)_

**//**

Apparently, they've lost all their memories of their time at Hope's Peak Academy thanks to Monomi (if Monokuma's right).

Emi almost screams. Was her first day at Hope's Peak her first taste of freedom?

Why would she have to forget _that?_

**//**

Parties are nice.

Emi likes parties. With this party, she can now add Hanamura's cooking to her ever expanding list of likes. Everyone's having fun, especially Saionji.

The strange thing is Togami confiscated everything that could be considered dangerous. Yet she could semi-understand that he just wants to protect everyone from being murdered.

Still, no one's gonna die tonight, right?

And the power goes out.

She can hear everyone talking (freaking out), and then the lights come back on...

...and Tsumiki trips, a plate of food landing in just the right spot to cover her underwear.

Just minutes after both Emi and Koizumi help her up, the body of Togami Byakuya is found lying dead under the table in the corner.

And the Monokuma announcement goes off.

**//**

_“How did this happen?”_

_“...We don't know.”_

_“Then we've got to find out. Or they're all gone for good.”_

**//**

Someone is screaming.

_Emi,_ Emi is screaming, and she falls to the floor. She barely knew the guy, and she's screaming.

( _not the first time you've seen a dead body,_ that small part of her mind whispers.)

Soda's freaking out, and Tsumiki has tears in her eyes, and Emi is screaming while Naegi holds her and Monokuma adds the Monokuma File to their notepads.

She has to know who did this. She has no choice.

Because one of them did this.

**//**

Komaeda's laughing at them, at everyone.

She _knew_ there was something wrong with the kid from the moment they met. However, something tells her that, despite Komaeda's crazy talk about _hope_ and the fact that he'd planned on killing Togami, he isn't the killer.

**//**

It's Hanamura Teruteru.

He's the one that killed Togami. He did it to stop Komaeda and to find out what happened to his mother and his family's restaurant.

And he's egged, breaded, and fried in a volcano as punishment.

It's not right, _it's not fair._

**//**

Who would kill over a _video game?_

She plays it only out of curiousity, and Monokuma says it's based on an actual event? The thing makes no sense anyway, going from day two then day four. She shakes her head, deciding it's best not to think about it.

Besides, Sonia had invited her, along with the other girls to a girls-only party at Chandler Beach. Of course, she finds Soda, Hinata, and Naegi at the meeting point (aka the restaurant on the second island).

(she's wearing a black lace up off the shoulder one piece swimsuit instead of a bikini and carrying a bottle of sunscreen in her hand, because _“I don't tan, Soda-kun. I burn.”,_ and a plain t-shirt in the other.)

Mioda, Nanami, Owari, Pekoyama, and Sonia join the group (Emi gets a kick out of Souda's disappointment at the fact that Sonia's wearing a wetsuit instead of a bikini) before they all walk to the beach...

...and Emi finds Koizumi Mahiru in the beach house, covered in blood, a steel baseball bat at her side, mirroring the game's second victim.

**//**

Koizumi was taken too quickly.

The blame is first put onto Saionji, since a gummy was found at the crime scene and the bratty dancer loves gummies. And Soda, Hinata, and Naegi saw her running from the beach with tears in her eyes.

However, Saionji also cared about, and loved, Koizumi, and she starts pointing fingers until the real culprit becomes clear.

**//**

Pekoyama Peko killed Koizumi Mahiru on behalf of her master, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, because she covered up a murder that a friend of her's committed.

But they didn't realize it at first, and the Ultimate Swordswoman pretends to be the famed serial killer Sparkling Justice. All of them, including Emi, choose her as the culprit, ignoring Sonia's pleas until the votes had been cast..

_... _ _because Sparkling Justice isn't Japanese._

Yet, Pekoyama faces Monokuma's endless hordes of robotic soldiers with little emotion, slicing each robot as Kuzuryu runs toward her.

(Emi can still hear his grief-stricken desperate pleas in her ears.)

Pekoyama slashes one of the robots, and Kuzuryu is right behind it. He falls unconscious, and the swordswoman uses her body as a shield to protect him as the robots stabbed her to death.

And Monokuma takes Kuzuryu away to save him.

**//**

_“Where's my brother?”_

_“...He's recovering.”_

_“Seriously? Him? That's gotta be a joke.”_

_“I wish it was, Fukawa.”_

_“You mean he's...?”_

_“I'm afraid so.”_

**//**

Owari tries to beat up Monokuma at the beach.

(it's against the rules to attack the headmaster. She knows it.)

Everyone, except for Komaeda, is freaking out and runs to the scene. Right when Monokuma's about to hit the gymnast with a powerful move, Nidai jumps in and takes the hit.

And Monokuma takes him away, too.

**//**

Emi wakes up in the hospital, completely and utterly confused. However, Monokuma shows up and drags her to the music venue she and Ibuki had sung at two days ago (was it longer? She can't tell. Last she remembered she was freezing). The moment she arrives and sees Mioda Ibuki hanging from a noose and Saionji Hiyoko strapped to a pole, her neck bleeding...

...she collapses to the floor, her hands clenching into fists.

**//**

Naegi fills her in about the Despair Disease. Apparently, it made Owari a coward, Komaeda a liar, Ibuki gullible, and herself shy and flirty around Naegi and the others, girls included for whatever reason she didn't understand. Tsumiki even said Emi'd flirted with her and Naegi more than the others.

**//**

Tsumiki Mikan is the murderer of Mioda Ibuki and Saionji Hiyoko, saying she did it for her beloved.

_“They weren't just_ my  _beloved, you know?”_ she says, looking over at Naegi and Emi.  _“They were yours, too, Emi-chan and Naegi-kun. I didn't mind sharing them with you.”_

Emi gets a chill down her spine (is it fear or pleasure? She can't tell the difference), and her face heats up in a blush. She can see that Naegi has the same reaction, even as the metal claw drags Tsumiki away.

**//**

She's sent off into space, and it feels awfully familiar.

**//**

Nidai comes back as a robot, complete with cola and tea dispensers for eyes, a radio clock with an alarm embedded in his chest, and a “Good Night Button” on the back of his neck that'll immediately knock him unconscious.

Emi almost laughs, and she's glad that Nidai's back.

 _Better a robot than dead,_ she thinks.

**//**

She's hungry.

She's _so_ hungry.

So's everyone, they're all dying of starvation.

In a Funhouse, no less.

This is the first real motive, Emi thinks, this is where it gets real.

They're doing Tai Chi every morning, they're all starving, her stomach is caving in on itself, and, for the first time since Monokuma talked about it, she thinks about trying to go into the Final Dead Room.

**//**

_Emi dreams of a girl her age sitting on a throne, her strawberry blond hair done up in twintails. The girl claps and jumps down to her, kissing Emi right on the lips. The blond's hands are holding her shirt. Real-life Emi is shocked and jumps, but dream-Emi sighs and grabs the other girl's twintails, and—_

—Emi wakes up, panting heavily and clutching her sweat-drenched shirt. That couldn't be real, right? She doesn't like girls that way...

(the camera in the corner of her room is staring at her, and the AI watching her chuckles at her confusion. _“I know you remember me, Emi-chan.”_ )

**//**

_“It looks like she still remembers her. I thought that her memory was blocked.”_

_“There's a possibility that she might have something to do with it because it looks like he remembers as well.”_

_“She might've actually cared about them, especially given the fact that she wanted him to be the one to kill her.”_

_“You mean that...”_

_“Yes, I mean precisely that.”_

**//**

_We just got him back,_ she thinks as she looks down at him.  _It's not fair._

She doesn't even scream. She can't scream anymore as she shovels food into her mouth.

Nidai Nekomaru lies dead on the floor, wires wrapped around his body and his leg. Both his head and his other foot have come off, and blue oil has leaked onto the floor.

**//**

Tanaka Gundham is the murderer this time. He and Nidai had a duel to “win the rights to keep living,” and Tanaka emerged as the victor, using the secret of the Funhouse (what Monokuma called the Ultimate Weapon) to kill Nidai.

However, throughout the whole investigation and trial, Komaeda had acted haughty and easily irritated toward everyone, even pushing Monokuma for Tanaka's execution. He even mocks Hinata's lack of talent.

Emi makes a mental note to keep a close eye on him, despite how much she dislikes him.

**//**

_“It also appears her disgust of him still remains despite the wipe.”_

_“Well, her feelings for him are still there. Along with his feelings for her.”_

_“I can see that as well. Guess they were meant for each other.”_

_“Yeah, it's too bad she got in the way.”_

**//**

He's run over by a stampede of animals, and Emi can't help but feel hollow.

**//**

Komaeda is going to bomb the entire island.

Not unless the traitor comes forward.

They all rush to the factory, after finding out the bomb is there.

Emi, on the other hand, has a feeling about where Komaeda is ( _“I'll be right there, Mako-kun. I promise.”_ ) and runs into the warehouse. She's shocked by the set-up. However, before she can run to tell the others, she's knocked down to the ground and the last thing she sees before she falls unconscious is Komaeda's hate-filled gaze.

**//**

The bomb's a fake.

Naegi Makoto wants to punch Komaeda, but he's gotta find him first. He, along with the others (except Emi. Where is she?), runs toward the warehouse and try to open the door, but it won't open.

Owari bashes the door down. There's ominous music, and the warehouse catches on fire.

It's burning to the ground, they're trying to put it out, but it's not working.

And Komaeda Nagito is dead.

The body discovery announcement goes off.

**//**

There's eight of them left.

Eight.

Makoto knows that's how many of them are left, and that's why he's running back to get Emi _because she's back in her room..._

...but the sound of a second body discovery announcement stops him in his tracks, and he runs back to the warehouse.

The moment he steps inside, Naegi Makoto falls to the ground.

Sato Emi is dead. She's been stabbed multiple times in the arms and chest, the words “TRAITOR TO HOPE” shakily written in pink blood on her arm.

Eight is now seven.

And Makoto screams.

**//**

Who did it? Who killed Komaeda Nagito and Sato Emi?

Was it Komaeda himself?

Was it all of them?

(Makoto can't bear the idea that he killed Emi. He doesn't like seeing two microphones stamped across her picture in the shape of an “X”. Komaeda, he could, for how he acted and for sending them on a wild goose chase.)

Then, Hinata asks Monokuma, “Are there two killers in this case?”

The bear is silent for a moment before he answers, “Yes. First you vote for who killed Sato Emi, then you vote for who killed Komaeda Nagito.”

The answer for who killed Emi is so simple, Makoto realizes. “The one who killed Sato Emi is Komaeda Nagito.”

“If Komaeda killed Emi, then who killed Komaeda?” Souda inquires.

They don't know, they don't know.

The other pieces fall into place because of the realization that Komaeda killed Emi, but they don't know who killed Komaeda.

“Maybe it's the traitor,” Nanami points out.

The traitor...

Who is it?

“Maybe the traitor can't reveal themselves. Maybe they aren't able,” Nanami suggests.

And then it becomes obvious, but Makoto can't make himself do it. Neither can Hinata, he realizes, but the former Reserve Course student does it anyway, tears flooding his eyes.

**//**

Komaeda Nagito killed Sato Emi. Nanami Chiaki killed Komaeda Nagito.

Nanami Chiaki is the traitor.

Nanami Chiaki is smiling.

**//**

She, along with the last Monomi, gets crushed by a Tetris piece, and the row explodes.

_(Hajime feels numb as the tears fall down his face.)_

**//**

There are six of them left, when they discover they're in a simulation.

There are six of them left, when they discover that Nanami Chiaki is an artificial intelligence.

There are six of them left, when they discover that each and every one of them is Ultimate Despair.

And Naegi Makoto and Sato Emi were Enoshima Junko's lovers and co-heads of Ultimate Despair.

Naegi Makoto can only feel sick.

**//**

Six against the mastermind.

(against Makoto's crazy ex-girlfriend)

Makoto, the luckster. Sonia, the princess. Souda, the mechanic. Owari, the gymnast. Kuzuryu, the yakuza. Hinata, the ultimate.

Six against Enoshima Junko, who is Ultimate Despair.

**//**

The Future Foundation comes to their rescue, to shut down the program. Kirigiri Kyoko, Togami Byakuya (the _real_ one, much to everyone's shock), and Hagakure Yasuhiro all join hands with the remnants, and together, they execute AI Enoshima Junko.

**//**

Instead of rejoining Future Foundation (as he really is, instead of a brainwashed lover of Enoshima's), Makoto decides to stay with Hinata and the others on the _real_ Jabberwock Island (it's a really weird concept for him to get used to), and he sits by Emi's pod. Not too far away, Kuzuryu sits by Pekoyama's pod. The yakuza had taken off his eyepatch, revealing his scar.

(Of course, Makoto had commented about how badass it looks despite the backstory to it, and Kuzuryu had only laughed.)

Nearby, Hinata is putting his own AI into the mainframe (ironically, he's called it “World Ender,” something that got a chuckle from the others) to bring back the ones who died. He still looks like Hinata Hajime, except that his left eye is red. He'd cut his “senpai” hair, as Makoto had jokingly called it (which earned him a punch to the arm, courtesy of Hinata), and changed it back to his normal spiky brown.

Makoto is holding onto a box of red hair dye as he stares at Emi's unmoving body, which Asahina had given to him _(“She'll probably want to change it back,” she'd said with a grin.)._ Her whole body looks green, thanks to the glass.

“She'll be waking up soon, Naegi,” Hinata tells him with a grin as he sits next to the younger boy. “They'll all be waking up soon.”

However, Makoto can see the sad look hidden behind his reassuring grin, but he doesn't comment on it, instead choosing to give him a reassuring pat on the leg in return.

Five minutes later, the pods open, and Makoto sees those emerald eyes again as he pulls her up out of her pod. And he holds her as he apologizes, afraid to let her go again.

And Sato Emi forgives him wholeheartedly.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just letting you know, this fic was written before the US release of Danganronpa V3, so I wasn't sure how to handle the "two blackened in one trial" scenario since it hadn't been done before. Therefore, I just came up with a solution while writing the trial.
> 
> So, I hope you enjoyed this series, and I'll do my best to finish a few more chapters of "Sun Set" (because I only have three chapters done, and they're the interludes!), _especially_ since Okami HD is now on Steam (the keyboard controls are sooooo weird, mind you I previously played it on the Wii three times). Anyway, I'll see you guys next fic. DFTBA and stay classy!


End file.
